Philippine Volcanoes Keeps Alive World Cup Dream

The Volcanoes, the Philippines’ national rugby football team, kept alive their dreams of joining the 2015 Rugby World Cup Saturday night by beating the United Arab Emirates’ Falcons, 28-4, in the most-watched rugby game in Manila.

Philippine Rugby Football Union

The Volcanoes, pictured here when they were crushed last month by Japan, 121-0, had a great night this past Saturday. The Philippines team now has a shot at being in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

It was the last game for this year’s competition. It couldn’t have been more important for both the Volcanoes and the Falcons, who were both winless entering Saturday night’s fight. As the winner, the Volcanoes stay in the Asian 5 Nations’ Top 5 tournament and book a ticket to next year’s regional tournament, where the champion goes to the 2015 World Cup while the runner-up goes to the wild card competition for the final slot in the Olympics of rugby.

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On Saturday, the Volcanoes erupted quickly, stringing together 12 points in two successful tries and one kick in the early part of the first 40-minute half. But before the first half was through, the Falcons succeeded on a try, scoring 5 points to keep the contest close at 5-12. The Falcons narrowed the gap further early within the first minute of the second half, 8-12, after making a penalty kick following several misses.

A relentless attack by the Volcanoes in the second half resulted in a successful try by Graema Hagan and another made kick by Alex Aronson, widening the gap 19-8. With less than 4 minutes left, the lights on the grandstand went out, delaying the game for 15 minutes. When play resumed, the Falcons tried desperately to salvage their place in the elite group, a place they held for the last five years. But it wasn’t to be, as the Philippines scored on another try with less than a minute before the game ended, extending the Volcanoes lead to the game’s final score of 24-8.

“We couldn’t imagine being relegated so we had to win this game,” Mr. Hagan said after Saturday’s competition.

The team that finishes fifth after the six-week long Asian 5 Nations rugby tournament will be demoted to Division 1, while the top four teams remain in the Elite Division to continue their quest to qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2015. The winner of the Elite Division in 2014 automatically qualifies to the Rugby World Cup 2015, while the second placer will face the second placers from Africa, Europe and the Americas in a knock-out competition for the final World Cup slot.

With Saturday’s win, the Philippines will stay in the company of perennial champions Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Sri Lanka, the latter of which was promoted to the Top 5 after emerging the winner of the Division 1 contest this year.

Jarred Hodges, head coach of the Volcanoes, said after the game against the UAE that the team’s win means the World Cup dream is “still alive,” but a lot of work needs to be done between now and the 2014 Asian 5 Nations to at least get to No. 2. He paid tribute to the 5,700 fans that watched the game, the biggest group to watch a rugby competition in the Philippines.

Indeed, the Philippines had a rude welcome in elite play. Japan beat the Volcanoes, 121-0; Hong Kong hammered the Philippines, 59-20, while South Korea handed the Philippines a 62-19 trouncing.

Still, things are looking up for the Volcanoes. The Philippine Volcanoes’ rugby seven team will debut in the IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens–a variation that has seven players to a side instead of the usual 15–in Moscow this June.

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Indonesia Real Time provides analysis and insight into the region, which includes Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. Contact the editors at SEAsia@wsj.com.

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